66 Korean songs that I liked in 2018. Part 6: 11-1

Fucking finally this nightmare has ended.

11. Seven O'clock - Searchlight

Seven O'clock remembers some old Big Bang through the "UFO" themed beat (that's how I feel, don't know how to describe it better) of Searchlight. Searchlight is melodramatic in a good way. I appreciate how they incorporated the rap breakdown into the last after-chorus. I like the You are my searchlIght. Hey baby, it's alrIght part the most.

10. EXO - GRAVITY

I'm feeling tense and excited every time listening to this funky space roller coaster.  The awesome chorus is the golden heart of the song with everyone's vocals joining together (that is a given for SM) and atypical -ni rhymes. So much shit's going on in this song, that my tiny knowledge in music wouldn't be able to describe it. My only wish is for the song not to end so suddenly.

9. Giriboy - Jim

We have Giriboy's another eccentric club trash from the same album. This one also puts a noose around your neck like a lasso and harshly pulls you in. JUSTHIS' (it's read as justice, wow, not just this, getitgetit?) rap fits. Unexpected guitar solo playing a familiar Italian melody rushes to conclude the song too fast.

8. TheEastLight - Real Man

TheEastLight's childish voices add juvenile charm to Real Man. The chorus is great, especially "오오오오 나를 봐" (oh oh oh oh nareul bwa). I like the orchestra bits scattered here and there, they add a little uplift to the simple Real Man. One of them - the staccato violin sounds buried under the main layer of the chorus - is extra important for me. Similar sounds were done here, in one of my most favorite songs of all time (as mentioned in #38). Nonetheless, Real Man has a flow, albeit so bad that it's good. The laughable machismo rap by a 12 y.o. is perhaps the worst rap that I've ever heard in KPop, lol.

These boys with undeveloped voices are realer men than the Media Line Entertainment's producer who abused Lee brothers for years. Btw, the sound of a falling comet, that is going to hit the shitty producer and CEO, wasn't intended to get into the song. 

7. A.C.E - TAKE ME HIGHER

It's a crime against humanity to release a non-tropic unsoulless song in KPop in 2018! Especially when the MV is full of fujo-friendly fanservice. I'm the person who finds watching MVs a chore. I often just leave the MV playing in a tab while I'm doing other shit on my laptop. Even so, I can't just stop replaying this MV in particular. I think it's partially because the song is so damn good. This one of a rarer songs where I approve of using the special KPop vocal skill called scream-your-lungs-out. The incredibly organically happy "TAKE ME HIGHER" is something that I need, because I'm a pessimistic fuck.

The 2nd reason why I keep replaying this MV might be because it's a softcore porn. It seems that it's just cute boys doing cute cringy things at first glance, but looking a bit further there's more to it. Look at their clothes. It's either crop-tops, jackets without shirts underneath or sneakily transparent shirts. Remember, this is a group that outmanwhored Monsta X by performing in underwear extra short shorts wearing leg chokers for God's sake! (Cactus sucks by the way). Plus there're some BL hints for filthy fujossis like me, haha.

6. nafla ft. Gaeko - SUNBBANG

All of the SMTM777 contestants tried to outdo each other on getting the most popular guest rapper for the pre-final episode of the show. We had Kid Milli with Justhis, Superbee (permanent cast of SMTM at this rate) with Bewhy and Loopy with Simon D, yeah, that's fine and dandy, guys, but here nafla came out with fucking Gaeko! How do you even beat that? Higher would be only Tiger JK, I guess. Good luck getting him. I wasn't witnessing the performance with my own eyes when it was recorded live, but I could feel the dragon energy through my small laptop screen like I was there. nafla and Gaeko made the performance into their own fucking concert, both him and Gaeko are experienced performers after all. The song, most importantly, is dope too. I disagree with the Quiett, I think the jazzy beat suits nafla really well. I mean, didn't he hear nafla's most famous track, which, like Sunbbang, is the chill boom bap with prominent woodwind tune. Yeah, Sunbbang is sprinkled by trap elements and shit by G.R.boy and isn't technically a boom bap, but I hope you get the gist.

Here's the song in higher quality.

5. MDSZ - Cassini

This is alternative space rock, which FUCKS. It's primarily apparent from the explosive 2nd chorus and both instrumental breakdowns. The drummer is rightfully placed in the center: he fucking rocks. I feel cool listening to Cassini.

FYI: here's another nerd with killer moves.

4. Kim Bada - Heuleum

While the verses are ethereal the main reason why this song is on my list is the epic chorus, where 김바다 is screaming his heart out through distortion.

FYI: here's a live performance of 흐름. The left side of the audience is amusing to look at.

3. BoA - ONE SHOT, TWO SHOT

BoA is the Queen, seriously, this woman defies gravity, for Christ's sake!  And she also makes cool music. The more I listened to ONE SHOT, TWO SHOT during the last year, the more I liked it. The verses are OK. They're serviceable ladders to the infectious fascinating pew-pew-pew-pew chorus featuring BoA's distinct voice & different cool effects applied to her singing, which precedes the great pre-chorus. After the lackluster bridge the song picks up again and ends with a bang adding pa-party for one, one, my favourite part.

2. HYUKOH - Graduation

This is a fun-made MV, the song starts playing @ 0:39.

Graduation feels like a nice 90s romcom movie OST. The nice intro invites you first. The next Engrish verses made up by a random lyrics generator don't bother me, 'cos English isn't my first language. Shit sounds nice to my ears, that's all I care about. Then pepper sounds paired with drums hurriedly make you anticipate for something, and BOOM, we've arrived  to the awesome chorus with the best guitar riff that gets stuck in your mind followed by engaging instrumental breakdown. The song calms down for a while for the 2nd verse before eventually exploding with the final chorus. Voice filters get even more ambitious and eventually fade into the best part - the same guitar riff from the chorus. This leaves a delightful lasting impression. I replay this damn riff in my mind all the fucking time. All in all, this song's excellent minus the awful unnecessary talking in the end.

FYI: here's HyukOh's pro diversity and LGBT++ Love Ya!.

FYI 2: here's HyukOh's SkyWorld for curing fear of clowns.

FYI 3: here's HyukOh's trippy MOMOM.

1. SURL - Candy

I bet SURL's all five fans strew them all over with candies after hearing this HyukOh song even though SURL want none of those.

Candy is the number 1 on my list is not only because I love the song from start to finish, but also because it combines these groovy stuff that I immensely like to catch in songs (I don't know how exactly all of this is called).

• That one groovy guitar riff, that Sweetune always uses, in the chorus. 
• Enjoyable bass guitar bit throughout the song. This one and the first one shine in the instrumental solo after the 1st chorus

I come in my pants when I hear this type of shit.

The last "I won't let you tell me somethIIIIIng" creates the required outburst that the song lacks before it ends.

All of these, soulful lead vocals and tone, and more mixes into a magnificent harmonic bouquet of pure bliss. Interestingly, I wouldn't call this song happy, nor would I consider it depressing. It's somewhere in between. Either way, my heart is feeling feels, man.

Bonus Chris Hansens for including anti-pedo PSA in the form of "We don’t wanna taste your candies" line. How noble of SURL.

FYI: Here's SURL's another track with a nice guitar melody.